Judges 2024

• Les Allan – Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO)
• Geoff Brown – Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO)
• Alan Cain – National Association for Healthcare Security (NAHS)
• Frank Cannon – The Security Institute (Syl)
• Darren Carter CPP MSyI F.ISRM – ASIS UK
• Oliver Curran – Security Commonwealth (SyCOM)
• Mark Death – International Professional Security Association (IPSA)
• Jason Dewar – The Defence Industry Security Association (DISA)
• Letitia Emeana – ASIS UK
• Richard Fogelman – National Security Inspectorate (NSI)
• Paul Fullwood – Security Industry Authority (SIA)
• Yolanda Hamblen – International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO UK)
• Ross Harvey CMgr FCMI F.ISRM M.ISMI CSMP® MIET MSyl CTSP M.IPSA RISC – Association of Security Consultants (ASC)
• Mike Hurst – International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO UK)
• Paul Jeffrey – Perimeter Security Suppliers Association (PSSA)
• Philip W Jones – Eastern Cross-sector Security and Communications (CSSC)
• Russel Kerr – British Security Industry Association (BSIA) 
• Jayne King – Security Commonwealth (SyCOM)
• Guy Mathias – Food and Drink Security Association (FDSA)
• Iain McCallister – British Security Industry Association (BSIA)
• Ross McDermott – Eastern Cross-sector Security and Communications (CSSC)
• Darren Miller – Aerospace, Defence and Security (ADS)
• David Milner – ATM Industry Association (ATMIA)
• Don Oakley – National Security Inspectorate (NSI)
• Simon Pears – International Professional Security Association (IPSA)
• Paul Phillips – Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB)
• Don Randall MBE – The Register of Chartered Security Professionals (CSyP) / City of London Crime Prevention Association (CoLCPA)
• Roger Ringham – National Association for Healthcare Security (NAHS)
• Ruth Ripley – Women’s Security Society (WSS)
• Michelle Russell – Security Industry Authority (SIA)
• David Scott – Skills for Security
• Sarb Sembhi – Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA)
• Emma Shaw – The Defence Industry Security Association (DISA)
• Elizabeth Sheldon – Aerospace, Defence and Security (ADS)
• David Tente – ATM Industry Association (ATMIA)
• Gary Thomas – Association of Security Consultants (ASC)
• Lynn Watts-Plumpkin – Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB)
• Anas Wihaib – Women’s Security Society (WSS)
• Andy Williams – Terrorist Information New York Group (TINYg)
• Chris Smith FSyi CSyP MSc – The Security Institute (Syl)
• Geoff Zeidler – Police and Security Group (PaS)

Les Allan – AUCSO

With 44 years’ experience in police, government, and senior safety and security roles, Les is an inspirational director and thought influencer. He is currently serving as Director of SafeGuarding Services at Heriot-Watt University, with campuses worldwide. He is current Chairman of AUCSO and an IFPO Advisory Board member.

Les helps spread best practice across the university sector, creating strategic alliances, contributing to professional journals, and encouraging collaboration with government and law enforcement agencies. Les champions the use of innovative technology to enhance the reach of university security, which has led to multiple security industry awards and global recognition (Security & Fire Excellence Awards winners 2018 and 2019. OSPAs Winner 2019. THE Awards Asia 2020 Finalists).

In the IFSEC Global Top Influencers in Security & Fire 2020 Security Rankings, Les was ranked as #2 Security Influencer. He is a frequent guest speaker at conferences and panelist in global leadership webinars.

Geoff Brown – AUCSO

Alan Cain – NAHS

Alan Cain is the Vice Chair for the National Association for Healthcare Security.

He is he Resilience Manager working for NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care, where he is responsible for the provision of specialist support in relation to Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR).

Prior to joining the NHS he worked in security risk management across a range of sectors including higher education, petroleum and gas, and embassies.

He holds an MA in Intelligence and Security Studies from the University of Salford and is a Fellow of both the Security Institute and the Institute of Strategic Risk Management.

Frank Cannon – Syl

Frank is a Board Director and Deputy Chair of the Security Institute with an altruistic endeavour to protect people, property, and information from adversarial attack. He is a self-professed security pracademic, blending his academic knowledge with its practical application.

A Chartered Security Professional with a protective mindset spanning 40-years, he applies his analytical thinking and curiosity to understand why adversaries attack, to help identify proportionate solutions to reduce the consequences on the organisation’s ability to deliver their business plan. Seated on a comprehensive military foundation, Frank has built a body of knowledge focussed on behavioural-based security awareness programmes designed to engage every member of an organisation to enable them to intuitively behave securely.

Darren Carter – ASIS UK

Darren’s career spans 25 years within the security industry, 21 years of which have been within the hospitality sector.  Having held several senior management positions with major hotel chains, Darren is now in his 17^th year as Group Director of Security & Safety for Edwardian Hotels London.

He takes an active role in his support of the wider security industry and currently holds several voluntary engagement roles as: Vice Chair of ASIS International UK Chapter, Chair of the Institute of Hotel Security Management, a certified member of The Security Institute and a member of the Security Commonwealth.  His position allows him the opportunity and privilege to represent the industry in a number of other capacities including the role of Industry Sector Lead (hotels) with CSSC, Chair of the Hotel Industry Fraud Forum and he sits on several multi agency strategic partnership groups focusing on countering terrorism, child exploitation and modern slavery.

Prior to joining the industry Darren served for 8 years in the Fleet Air arm, Royal Navy operating across Europe, North Africa and South America.

Oliver Curran – SyCOM

Oliver Curran BSc (Hons) has worked in the Security Industry for over 26 years, initially as a contract Security Officer in the corporate sector but for the last 14 years as an In-House Security Manager at University College London (UCL). UCL has a student population of over 52,000 students in over 250 buildings, with a Security workforce of over 280 personnel. 

 Oliver’s keenness to improve the Security Industry and to give a voice to all front line staff has led him to undertake many voluntary roles outside of UCL including Vice Chairman AUCSO (Association of University Chief Security Officers), Security Commonwealth Board Member, Co-Chair Security Commonwealth’s EDI SIG, PSS (Public Space Security) group member, UK OSPAs Judge and BSI Standards Development group member. 

Mark Death – IPSA

Mark Heads up the Physical Security department within Group Risk & Compliance for a large Sports Betting, Gaming & Entertainment company which has over 16,000 employees & 40+ Corporate Locations globally.

With over 20 years’ experience, Mark has worked with global organisations ensuring that their physical security requirements are not only met, but are regularly assessed, keeping clients informed of latest advances in physical security management and working with them through deployment.

As a board Director of the International Professional Security Association (IPSA), Mark volunteers his time with the association in contributing to the professionalism and works closely with the IPSA Front Line forum ensuring they have a voice within the industry.

Mark is highly regarded by his peers as dedicated and hardworking, with an internal drive to deliver excellence.

Outside of work, Mark likes spending time outdoors exploring new locations on long walks with his wife and dog.

Jason Dewar – DISA

Jason is a Senior Manager at Accenture UK where he leads the ‘Cyber Strategy and Organisation’ consulting practice. Additionally, Jason leads Accenture’s NCSC Assured Cyber Security Consultancy (ACSC)  services team, and as such is a member of the NCSC Head Consultant community.

A cyber security professional for over 20 years, Jason joined Context IS in 2003 where he led various consulting and security engineering teams, as well as holding the role of group security controller / Information Security Manager. Jason moved with Context between acquisitions from Babcock and then Accenture.

A former CLAS consultant, Jason holds CISSP and NCSC CCP qualifications as IA Auditor and Security and Information Risk Advisor (SIRA), soon to be transferred to Chartered professional status (ChCSP) and is a member of several professional organisations such as ISC2.

Based in London/Essex, Jason is an active member of the UK Cyber Security Council’s Technical Advisory Panel (TAP), which is establishing the new Chartership professional status for UK cyber professionals. He is also a board member of the Defence Industry Security Association (DISA) where he chairs the IT Security sub-group.

Letitia Emeana – ASIS UK

Letitia Emeana has been active in security since 2001.  She qualified with her ASIS PSP in December 2007, IT Governance CISMP 2014 and ASIS CPP in 2017.  Letitia is a multi-disciplinary security professional and leader with significant experience in Security Design, Security Technology and Security Implementation. Letitia is the Global Security Capability Manager at Unilever and held previous Leadership positions at Tesla, Amazon and Lloyds Banking Group. She is a passionate advocate for Diversity in its broadest sense and was core to the establishment of Women’s Security groups in Amazon, Tesla and Unilever.

Letitia’s background in global security gives her a broad appreciation of the multifaceted elements for supplier capability, corporate thinking, changing threats and new technologies. She is also able to connect this with the latest thinking on coaching, facilitation and innovation to maximise the success of capability. She brings enthusiasm and motivation to a team, whilst being very much a servant leader with diversity rooted in her DNA. She enjoys learning from others and sharing thoughts on improvements by harnessing these strengths.

Richard Fogelman – NSI

Richard Fogelman became Chief Executive of NSI in March 2023. Prior to joining NSI Richard spent almost a decade as CEO of a leading national charity supporting bereaved young people.  He has a law degree and over 15 years’ management experience having worked in London’s financial markets at numerous banks and financial firms.

Established more than 50 years ago, NSI holds a prominent position as the UK’s premier Certification Body specialising in the security and fire safety sectors. Its UKAS-accredited certification process ensures rigorous audits of over 2000 companies annually, spanning the UK and Eire, to verify compliance with British and European standards, relevant industry codes of practice, and current legislation, playing a significant role in elevating industry standards and fostering confidence among buyers.

Paul Fullwood – SIA

Paul was appointed as the interim Director for Inspections and Enforcement of the SIA on 17^th May 2021.

Paul joined the SIA after a 33-year career with the Police Service and previously HM Armed Forces. Paul retired from policing in 2020 as Assistant Chief Constable for Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Constabularies with responsibility for major crime, armed policing, counter terrorism, roads policing, scientific services, civil contingencies, dogs and public order specialist services.

Paul was the national policing lead for the strategic investigation of complex, sensitive and serious crime, advising on policy, mentoring and developing future senior law enforcement leaders and senior detectives. Paul has been a detective at every rank and has served previously with Sussex Police, National Crime Squad and Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

Paul continues to provide support across UK law enforcement as a College of Policing Associate and advisor. This also includes ongoing oversight of a high-profile child homicide enquiry and recently leading on sensitive national thematic/homicide reviews on behalf of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) across the United Kingdom.

Yolanda Hamblen – IFPO UK

Yolanda is a Senior Security Leadership professional with 15 years’ experience in several security leadership roles across Physical and Cyber Security, all underpinned by 7 years in the Police Force with five of those in a Detective role. A long way from that first career as an International DJ in the 90’s, which when in the UK stretched to local radio.

Yolanda sits on the Advisory Board of IFPO UK and chairs the ED & I subcommittee, along with full participation on the Mental Health and Wellbeing group. She is an ASIS Member and sits on the ASIS International Physical Steering Committee and finds ways to connect with other women security professionals around the world in small projects, including mentoring young women security professionals.
Passionate about Mental Health Yolanda is now a Mental Health First Aider and advocates for good mental health and wellbeing in all roles both in and out of work. Yolanda is passionate about amplifying the voices of the marginalised in our communities and is also an LGBTQ+ Ally and promotes evolving allyship.

Yolanda started the weekly Security Circle podcast series in January 2023 for IFPO to find more ways of connecting security giants to the front line in our communities. The podcast attracted multiple sponsorships. Yolanda also produces a security book review podcast series for ASIS called Turning Pages giving global security professionals an opportunity to peer review books authored in our community. Yolanda is also a fractional CISO consultant and is very passionate about keeping our data safe.

Ross Harvey – ASC

Mike Hurst – IFPO UK

Mike Hurst CPP® CPOI has been active in the Security and Fire Sector for over 30 years and is Director of executive recruiters HJA Consult.  Through his professional and volunteer leadership experience, he has developed an excellent international network of senior security professionals.  A regular contributor  to the security media, he has spoken and been on panels at events globally.

He is joint founder of AllSecurityEvents.com the listing site and is named on the IFSEC Global Influencers list.  He is also the founder of the #SecurityMindsMatter project.

He is the Executive Director of the International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO) UK &  Ireland.

Paul Jeffrey – PSSA

Paul Jeffrey is a founder Director of the Perimeter Security Suppliers Association (PSSA) serving as its Chairman for the last 2 years. He has a background of over 27 years in vehicle access control and hostile vehicle mitigation and ran one of the first business to start vehicle impact testing in the UK.

As part of his PSSA remit, Paul has been involved with improving quality levels within the physical security industry and driving better communication between all stakeholders in perimeter security and event protection.

Philip W Jones – CSSC

Early in his career, Philip Jones served as a police officer with the Wiltshire Constabulary (4 years) and as a commissioned officer in the RAF, Provost & Security Services (21 years).

Following his RAF service, RAF and was appointed Wandsworth Council Chief Enforcement Officer responsible for all enforcement, protective security and event management activities across the borough including a very proactive parks police service.  In 2002, Philip joined Cable & Wireless as Director, Physical Security, and later took up a similar position at Lloyds TSB Bank.  Philip also served as the Vision Security Group, Account Director, for the Bank of America Merrill Lynch account and was later appointed Regional Security Director, Europe Middle East and Africa, at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Until Recently, Philip was a Senior Security Manager at Westfield Europe Ltd and was based at Westfield London (White City) shopping centre.  Philip is responsible for the delivery of complex, intelligence led, safety, security and crime prevention risk mitigation measures.

In his career, Philip has developed specific skills in the delivery of risk mitigation processes and practices and the integration of security mechanisms in security control rooms.

Philip resides in Bushey, Hertfordshire, with his wife and his hobbies include photography, historical research, motorcycling and football refereeing.

Russel Kerr – BSIA

A graduate of the University of Aberdeen, Russel joined the board of SecuriGroup in 2001 before his appointment as Managing Director in 2003. His role at SecuriGroup involves oversight of statutory compliance, governance, and corporate risk.

Russel is a member of the Security Institute, is an Executive Committee Member and Regional Chair of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA). In 2021, he was invited to establish and chair the board of CSSC Scotland ahead of the UN Climate Conference, COP26.

He continues to support best industry practice by working closely with the sector’s Home Office Regulator, having held a number of positions including the Security Industry Authority’s Strategic Consultation Group and Quality Standards Committee.

Jayne King – Security Commonwealth

Jayne King joined the NHS in 1991 and has extensive experience in managing both in house and outsourced Healthcare Security Services. She is the Head of Security and Site Services at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, which is one of the largest and oldest hospitals in the UK. One of Jayne’s key priorities is the building of partnerships and community working within the security sector and the promotion of the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion strategy within the security industry.  Jayne is an Accredited Security Management Specialist (ASMS), a Fellow of the Security Institute (FSyI), President of the National Association for Healthcare Security (NAHS) and the current Chair of the Security Commonwealth (SyCom).

Prior to her NHS career, Jayne spent 9 years in the Royal Air Force assigned to both National and NATO Forces.

Guy Mathias – FDSA

Guy is a subject matter expert on Extremism and a former recipient of the prestigious “UK Security Manager of the Year Award for Services to Industry”

He directed counter extremist operations for the Research & Pharmaceutical sector, during an unprecedented campaign of public order threat, violence & intimidation, notably as Chair of The UK Pharmaceutical Industry Security Forum, leading on strategies for security, staff protection and pre-employment screening. He worked in a pivotal role to develop and maintain close, effective working relationships with industrial, academic, Police and Government sectors.

He has also lectured on the threat posed by Extremism to industrial, academic and government sectors & International Security, Police & UK Government bodies.

Guy was a corporate security advisor to GSK, responsible for auditing global manufacturing facilities and writing a treatise entitled “Extremism: Past, Present, Future”

A Fellow of the Security Institute, Guy served a six-year elected Director period as Validation Board Chair & Strategy Director.

In 2017, he was appointed Chair of the Food & Drink Security Association. In 2018 he was appointed Chair of Eastern Region Cross Sector Safety & Security Cascade (CSSC).

In 2019 he was appointed Chair of The Security Commonwealth until 2021 to then become Immediate Past Chair, continuing to serve on the SyCom Board and was also chosen amongst the top ten thought leaders at the 2019 edition of IFSEC’s Global Influencers.

In 2020, Guy was appointed by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to its Strategic Forum. The Strategic Forum is a group of senior and experienced stakeholders with significant  private security expertise,which works with the SIA on the development of ideas around public protection.

Guy is currently the Risk & Operations Director at Suntory.

Iain McCallister – BSIA

CEO of Midlands-based security specialists MAN Commercial Protection Ltd Iain McCallister’s industry experience is vast; he started working as a doorman at the age of 16, whilst pursuing his professional boxing career. MAN Commercial Protection was founded in 1993, and now employs 1600 people throughout the UK. We operate across a wide range of locations and business sectors, offering security guarding, CCTV operation, loss prevention, reception and concierge services and event security management.

With 30-years’ experience, and a focus on providing excellent customer service and fulfilling our people’s potential, MAN Commercial has become a Top-20 UK security provider. MAN Commercial operates from Solihull, West Midlands, with three office buildings and a Highfield-accredited Training Academy. Iain McCallister was awarded ‘Contribution to the Industry’, by the British Security Industry Association at the 2022 British Security Awards.

Ross McDermott – CSSC

After a 14 year career within the UK Police Service which endowed Ross with experience within Uniformed Operations and as a Senior Detective. He developed specialist skills in Public Order / Public Safety Command, Counter Terrorism Security Co-ordination (CTSecCo), as well as a Hostage and Crisis Negotiator, co-ordinator and trainer of this discipline.

Since moving into Corporate Security in 2017 he has worked within National and Global Organisations within the broad realm of Risk, Security and Safety; currently leading the Security and Safety Programmes of a Global Research and Bio-tech company across the EMEA Region.

Aside from this work, Ross also delivers training, coaching and mentoring focussed on communication skills and leadership development where he is part of the Compass for Life programme as a ‘Navigator’.

Darren Miller – ADS

Darren joined ADS after 30 years’ service in Hampshire Constabulary. He previously held roles as an experienced Tactical Firearms Commander and Public Order and Public Safety Commander, planning and delivering various operations including music events, sporting events, protests and other policing operations.

He also previously worked on a range of national policing issues including firearms licensing and ICT programmes, as well as chairing the Tactical Coordination Group for Hampshire Local Resilience Forum‘s multi-agency response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

David Milner – ATMIA

After several years in management roles within electronic security, CCTV and Access Control industries David moved over to the Cash & Valuables management industry. He current works as Director of Business Development for specialist UK manufacturer Spinnaker International Ltd.; a Company that supplies specialist security devices into 45 countries with a focus on technologies offering protection for cash in storage or during transport. Also included are asset protection and monitoring solutions that recently achieved European Space Agency funding.

2022 Elected Chairman for the European Intelligent Cash Protection Association, representing the major manufacturing stakeholders in the cash protection niche. Board member of the ATM Industry Association (Europe).

Don Oakley – NSI

Don has over 35 years’ experience in the commercial insurance and risk management sector prior to joining NSI in 2020.  At the Inspectorate, Don’s responsibilities include liaising with government, specifiers, stakeholders and buyers in promoting the value of third party certification and its role in verifying competence.

Established more than 50 years ago, NSI holds a prominent position as the UK’s premier Certification Body specialising in the security and fire safety sectors. Its UKAS-accredited certification process ensures rigorous audits of over 2000 companies annually, spanning the UK and Eire, to verify compliance with British and European standards, relevant industry codes of practice, and current legislation, playing a significant role in elevating industry standards and fostering confidence among buyers.

Simon Pears – IPSA

Simon Pears became a Chartered Security Professional (CSyP) in 2013 and is the Chair of the International Professional Security Association (IPSA) which he was elected to in 2020 having served on their board since 2011.

In addition, Simon is the Global Security Director at Sodexo, where he provides security solutions, guidance, and advice to over 40 countries within their global portfolio and in 2021 Simon was named within the prestigious list of Global Influencers for Security and Fire for 2021 by IFSEC. Simon is a retired magistrate, having served on the Western Bench for nearly 10 years.

Paul Phillips – SSAIB

Having trained as an electronics engineer, Paul worked for security equipment manufacturers from 1994 until joining BSIA in 2009, later becoming Technical Manager. He gained an MSc in Security and Risk Management in 2006. Paul began working for SSAIB in 2017, initially as compliance manager. He became SSAIB’s General Manager in 2022 with the responsibility of the day to day running of the company.

Along with development of codes of practice for various security topics, he has been involved in the development of British and European standards for electronic security systems since 2002. Paul currently chairs the group that develops the European standards for intruder alarm systems as well as the British Standards committee for electronic access control.

Don Randall MBE – CSyP and CoLCPA

Don Randall served with the City of London Police from 1969-1995, with specific emphasis on fraud and counter terrorism.  Following 13 years at JPMorgan Chase as Managing Director, he joined the Bank of England in 2008 and was appointed the Bank’s first Chief Information Security Officer in 2013.

Don is chairman of the ‘Sister Banks’, City of London Crime Prevention Association and ‘Project Griffin’ and a member of the City of London Crime Disorder Reduction Panel.  He is also a member of the London First Security Advisory Board, Executive Member of the London Resilience Board, Chairman of the London Resilience Business Sector Panel and Co-founder and Vice Chairman of the Cross Sector Safety & Security Communications initiative.

Don is a Fellow of the Security Institute and a Chartered Security Professional.  He has also served as an external lay member of the City of London Police Committee.

In 2007, Don was awarded an MBE for services to law enforcement for the harmonisation of the public/private sectors.  He was presented with a Security Excellence Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Security Profession in 2013 and in 2015 was a recipient of the International Police and Public Safety 9/11 Commendation Medal.  In 2018 he received the UK OSPAs Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by the Security Institute.

Don is currently a Senior Security Advisor to several major firms engaged in the following areas: cyber security, legal and regulatory, physical and technical security, international close protection, pre-employment screening, risk management, counter-terrorism, trans-national criminal activities, asset recovery and fraud investigations.

Roger Ringham –  NAHS

Roger is Chair of the National Association for Healthcare Security (NAHS). He is a Board Director of NAHS Limited (Companies House registration 13242341), and Chair of the South West Region Security Management Group (SWSMG).

In addition, Roger works as an Assistant Director in the NHS, where he is the Head of Service for Security and Fraud Experts (SAFE).

SAFE delivers specialist services including security management, counter-fraud and related training to: NHS organisations, Local Government Authorities and to the private sector. It is responsible for the protection of >30,000 employees at over 1,000 sites nationwide from the threat of physical harm and financial abuse.

Before joining the NHS, Roger served as a Police Officer and spent most of his time in a variety of investigative roles. Specialising in the investigation of major, serious, and complex crime.

In addition, he trained as an Authorised Firearms Officer. Working in V.I.P. Protection and engaged on Category ‘A’ escort duties (Transportation of High Value Targets).

Ruth Ripley – WSS

Ruth is a dedicated security professional with a passion for promoting gender diversity and inclusivity in the industry. With a background in teaching Religious Education, Ethics, and Philosophy, Ruth began her career in education before transitioning to security. She has served as the UK Event Security Manager for the Walt Disney Company on behalf of Wilson James and is currently making significant contributions as the Event Security Contract Manager for the Southbank Centre on behalf of Carlisle Support Services.

In her various roles, Ruth has taken charge of overseeing security operations and managing risk for major events, ensuring the safety and security of all attendees and personnel. Her experience as the UK Event Security Manager for the Walt Disney Company and Security Manager for FGH Security has honed her expertise in event security and risk mitigation, enabling her to skilfully navigate the complexities of large-scale gatherings.

In addition to her work in the security industry, Ruth is also a co-chair of the Women’s Security Society, a UK-based organisation where she actively promotes the professional development of women working in security-related roles and campaigns for gender equality within the industry. She is also the newly appointed General Secretary of the Security Industry Federation where she helps support front line officers and takes charge of the day-to-day operations.

Ruth has established herself as a respected figure within the security industry, and her dedication to her work has been recognised through her nomination as a finalist for the Women in Security’s Security Manager of the Year award. Ruth’s focus on building a more diverse and inclusive industry underscores her commitment to fostering a more equitable and supportive community of security professionals and her commitment to advancing gender diversity and equity within security, combined with her experience and expertise, make her a valuable asset.

Michelle Russell – SIA

Michelle joined the SIA as Director of Partnership and Interventions in January 2020, leading the criminal enforcement and regulatory inspection functions. She was appointed as the Chief Executive of the SIA in October 2020. She has over 25 years’ experience of working in regulation and regulatory environments in both the public and private sectors.

Prior to the SIA, Michelle worked at the Charity Commission where she was the Director of Investigations, Monitoring and Enforcement for over 5 years. She was accountable for its high-risk investigations and compliance work and specialist monitoring, outreach and accountancy functions. Michelle developed national strategies on counter-terrorism, fraud and financial abuse, and safeguarding and sat on a number of cross government and industry groups, particularly on terrorism and serious crime issues.

Before that Michelle held various other operational and compliance roles, and started her career as a qualified solicitor in the private and then public sector.

David Scott – Skills for Security

David’s passion lies in the development and improvement of training within the fire and security industry. As a past apprentice himself, he is driven by his love for the industry that provided him with so many opportunities to grow and develop. With a determination to give something back, David’s career goal is to raise apprenticeship participation, employer engagement in training and continuously drive industry improvements by raising the standard of training delivered throughout the United Kingdom.  

Over the last 8 years David has been employed by New College Lanarkshire with a remit to drive continuous improvement in their apprenticeship programme. After a successful number of years lecturing, David was promoted to Curriculum & Quality Manager in 2016, where he was responsible for the curriculum strategy, development & delivery to over 450 students, with the line management responsibility of 20 staff across a mixed curriculum of Carpentry & Joinery, Built Environment and Electronic Fire & Security sectors. David’s passion was instrumental in New College Lanarkshire’s rise in becoming the largest provider of the fire and security apprenticeship programme in the UK, with 200 apprentices enrolled. Since then, New College Lanarkshire have had huge success at national events, with 12 placed winners at the security excellence awards over 8 years. 

David’s commitment to the industry is evident; he regularly attends key industry events across the UK to deliver engaging and promotional talks to industry about training. 

Qualified to degree level in both Teaching and Management, David is an advocate of self-development and continuous improvement, and has recently become an accredited chartered manager with the CMI. 

Sarb Sembhi – ISACA

Sarb is the CTO & CISO at Virtually Informed, and has previously been a CTO & CISO for the Noord Group. He has previous worked as a consultant covering most issues in risk and security. Sarb’s contributions to the industry include the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Defence and Security Committee and its Cybersecurity working group. Other contributions include: Past President of the ISACA London Chapter, Chair of ISACA International GRA Region 3 Sub-Committee, Chair of ISACA International GRA Committee, ISSA UK Advisory Group member, InfoSecurity Magazine Editorial Group member. Sarb has also served on several Security Standards Groups, and continues to write for several publications and speak at risk and security events around the world.

Emma Shaw, MBA, CSyP, FSyl – DISA

Emma is the founder and Managing Director of Esoteric Ltd, a well-established Electronic Bug Sweeping, Counter-Espionage and Intelligence gathering company based in Surrey, UK.  An MBA graduate, and a Chartered Security Professional (CSyP) Emma’s early career was spent with the Royal Military Police, followed by a career in the Ministry of Defence.

She is a Vice President of the Security Institute, having previously been Chairman (2013 to 2015); Board Director of the Defence Industry Security Association (DISA) and council member for City and Security Resilience Networks (CSARN).

She is a Non-Executive Director of Kings Security Group Solutions Ltd, and Falanx Group Ltd, an AIM listed geopolitical and intelligence company. In 2012, Emma won the Security Consultant of the Year at the Security Excellence Awards.

Elizabeth Sheldon – ADS

Elizabeth Sheldon is an executive director for CCL Solutions Group, digital forensic and data experts. but also operational in the security sector at government and senior corporate levels. Prior to the purchase of her company by CCL solutions group, Elizabeth was CEO and then Chairman of Evidence Talks Ltd.

Currently chairing both the strategy group for the South Central Institute of Technology and the Security Advisory Board of Cranfield University Elizabeth is also a trustee of Women Leaders UK where she organises an annual festival for employers and students to showcase the opportunities for STEM careers. A trustee of Women in International Security (WiIS) and the SEMLEP ambassador for security Elizabeth is also proud to be a trustee of Camphill in Milton Keynes.

Chris Smith – Syl

Chris is a current Board Director of The Security Institute.  He has spent over 30 years in senior corporate security roles in the leisure industry (Marriott, Four Seasons and Trust House Forte), financial services (Deutsche Bank and HSBC) and currently in media and advertising (WPP).

His responsibilities have included fraud risk, physical security, business continuity, cyber security, geopolitical risk, insider risk and crisis management.  Chris started life in law enforcement and intelligence.  He is a founding Fellow of the Security Institute, a Chartered Security Professional and past Chair of OSAC (Hong Kong & Macao).  He is a former Board Trustee and Chair of the fund-raising committee for Hostage International.  Chris has an MSc in criminology from Leicester University.

David Tente – ATMIA

The ATM Industry Association is a global trade association with over 11,000 members in 65 countries, representing ATM and payments professionals from a broad cross-section of the industry.  This includes ATM operators and manufacturers, financial institutions, payment processors, service providers, networks, and a variety of technology companies.

In his current role as Executive Director, USA, Canada, and Americas, David is responsible for leading ATMIA’s largest region.  He works with the membership team to maintain and grow U.S. membership, develops and manages content for the industry’s premier conference, manages regional committee groups, and serves as an ATM industry evangelist.  David also leads advocacy efforts for the region at the local, state, and federal regulatory levels, representing the interests of the broader ATM industry, as well as consumers who depend on ATMs for convenient access to cash.  In addition, David is the incoming President of the ATM Security Association, a subsidiary group of ATMIA that is focused strictly on ATM security.

Gary Thomas – ASC

Gary Thomas has 35 years’ experience working in the security industry, beginning his career as an alarm installer, and progressing organically over the years to where he now specialises as an independent security consultant.

Gary is a full member of the Security Institute, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and ASIS, and has served as on the Board of the Association of Security Consultants since 2018.

Lynn Watts-Plumpkin – SSAIB

Lynn has worked in the security industry for 40 years and has vast experience across all security services sectors, including contract and in house security and is a Fellow of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Managers.  She works for SSAIB as the Management Systems Scheme Manager running a team of auditors who undertake ISO 9001, Quality management, ISO 14001 Environmental management and ISO 45001 Health and Safety management systems audits for security services, security systems and the fire sectors.  She has also conducted audits overseas, including Iraq, and was chosen by the Home Office to be part of the International Capabilities Team.

Lynn is currently chair the GW/3 British Standards committees for private security management and services and management systems in complex environments, although she is standing down in October this year, having undertaken this role for over eight years.

Anas Wihaib – WSS

Anas Wihaib is a security professional with a wealth of experience in public-private partnerships, business continuity, and corporate resilience. While originally planning to become a Scenes of Crime Officer, Anas discovered a passion for the private security industry and went on to complete a Master’s Programme focusing on the impact of business crime across UK retailers. This marked the beginning of her career in security partnership.

Over the years, Anas has built a strong network of contacts in both law enforcement and private security, and has worked on a number of counter-narrative programmes aimed at bridging the gap between private security and law enforcement. Her expertise in public-private partnerships has made her a valuable asset in the field of corporate resilience.

In addition to her work in the security industry, Anas is also an Intel Analyst for Spotify, where she applies her analytical skills to help protect the platform and its users. She is also a Co-Chair of the Women’s Security Society, where she plays an active role in promoting gender diversity and inclusivity in the security industry.

Anas is passionate about promoting and professionalising the security industry as a desirable career path for those embarking on their career, or those considering a new path in their career journey. As such, she is proud to have joined the board of the Women’s Security Society, where she hopes to work on a number of innovative projects with the wider board and partners. Her dedication to advancing the industry and her commitment to collaboration make her a valuable member of the security community.

Andy Williams – TINYg

Andy Williams JP FRSA FSyI F.ISRM is Deputy Group Chairman and Director of TINYg, the international counter terrorism information sharing network. 

Now in his fifth decade in law enforcement and security management, Andy spends a large proportion of time volunteering as a security profession mentor and as a magistrate. He was formally Chairman of the UK Chapter and Regional Vice President of ASIS international, Middle Warden of the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals and a member of the Validation Board of the Security Institute. He is also a member of several security related advisory councils. 

Andy is a regular presenter at international security conferences, has written several articles for security publications and has been interviewed on television in relation to security issues.

 Geoff Zeidler – PaS

Geoff Zeidler studied Engineering at Cambridge and then worked in strategic consulting at Bain & Co, and Investment Banking at Robert Fleming & Co where he ran the Defence, Industry and Technology team.  In 1997 he joined Spirent plc as the Director of Business Development to lead transformation into a TeleComs group through acquisitions; and then ran the Europe and Wireless Divisions.   He left in 2005 and worked as Interim Strategy Director at De La Rue before being appointed the Commercial Director for the Forensic Science Service working closely with the police and Home Office.

In 2008 Geoff was appointed Country President of Securitas in the UK & Ireland and following re-invigoration of the business lead the acquisitions and integration of Reliance and Chubb which quadrupled the size of the company to create the UK’s second largest manned guarding business.  In 2013, he returned to an advisory career assisting companies in the Business Services; Technology; Justice and Security markets to grow; either through transactions as a Partner in Wyvern Partners; or an advisor/investor as Director of GZC.  He Chairs the Police & Security Initiative with the National Police Chiefs Council on behalf of the BSIA.

As a non-Executive he was Chairman of the BSIA from 2012-14; and is currently Deputy Chairman of the SIA (ALB regulator of the Security Industry) and Chairman of Kings Solutions Group Ltd.